Method for cleaning teeth



y 970 E. F. MALIN 3,514,328

METHOD FOR CLEANING TEETH Filed Sept. 27, 1967 9e FREQUENEY 24 %vMULTIPLIER F .zgLE

y e F Mal/'0 INVENTOR.

United States Patent US. Cl. 134-1 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Ateeth cleaning method and apparatus. The method comprises the placing ofmaterial susceptible to a magnetic field in a mouth cavity andthereafter subjecting the material to a varying magnetic field in orderto impart motion to the material to clean the teeth in the mouth cavity.The apparatus comprises a material including a fluid, having particlestherein that are susceptible to a varying magnetic field that willimpart motion to the particles, and a magnetic field-producing deviceincluding a transducer for producing a varying magnetic field thatimparts motion to the particles in order to clean the teeth in the mouthcavity.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention relates to a new and improvedcleaning method and apparatus, and, more particularly, to a method ofcleaning teeth by utilizing a varying magnetic field to impart motion tomaterial placed in a mouth cavity, and apparatus comprising, a materialincluding a fluid having particles therein susceptible to a magneticfield for cleaning teeth, and a magnetic field-producing device.

As is perhaps Well-known, many teeth cleaning methods and apparatus havebeen utilized to clean teeth in a mouth cavity. One of the oldestmethods is to apply a cleansing agent such as a tooth paste or powder toa brush that is placed in the mouth cavity in order to scrub the teethclean. In the past, brushes of various design have been operated by handor motor-driven devices to scrape or abrade the surface of teeth toremove unwanted particles, also, vibrating devices, such asmagneto-strictive tools, have been utilized by dental personnel toperiodically clean teeth surfaces. In order to eflectively removeforeign substances from between teeth in a mouth cavity, streams ofwater and thin materials, such as waxed strings, have been employed.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The present invention relates to a new and improvedteeth cleaning method and apparatus. The method utilizes a varyingmagnetic field-producing device to impart mo tion to a material placedin a mouth cavity for cleaning the teeth therein. In the preferredembodiment of the apparatus, the material includes a fluid includingcleansing ingredients, and particles that are susceptible to a magneticfield, and the magnetic field-producing device includes a transducer forconverting electrical energy into a magnetic field that varies indirection and intensity for imparting motion to the particles which, inturn, imparts motion to the fluid and the cleansing ingredients. In thepreferred method of cleaning teeth, the material is placed in the mouthcavity and sealed therein by the lips and tongue. The magneticfield-producing device is placed outside of the mouth cavity forproducing a varying magnetic field that penetrates the mouth cavity toimpart motion to the particles and fluid in the mouth cavity in order toclean the surfaces of the teeth, as well as the surface between theteeth.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved magneticcleaning method and apparatus.

Also, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improvedteeth cleaning method and apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method andapparatus for stirring and agitating a material placed in a cavity forcleaning the items therein.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novelmethod and apparatus for stirring and agitating a material sealed by thelips and tongue in a mouth cavity by a device held outside of the mouthcavity.

A further object of this invention is to provide a fast cleaning methodand apparatus.

A further object of this invention is to provide a material that can beagitated by a magnetic field produced by a magnetic field-producingdevice for cleaning teeth.

A further object of this invention is to provide a magneticfield-producing device that may be held outside of the mouth cavity inorder to stir and agitate a material that is sealed within the mouthcavity for cleaning the teeth therein.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a teeth cleaningmethod and apparatus that will cleanse the surface of teeth and thesurfaces between the teeth in a mouth cavity by utilizing a materialincluding a fluid having particles therein susceptible to a magneticfield.

In accordance with these and other objects which will be apparenthereinafter, the instant invention will be described with particularreference to the accompanying drawing illustrating this apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partially cross-section, showing the preferredembodiment of this invention in operation;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the magnetic field-producing device;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a core arrangement.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detail to thedrawings, wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown,and referring particularly to FIG. 1, the magnetic field-producingdevice, generally designated as numeral 2, produces a varying magneticfield in order to stir or agitate a material 4 placed in the mouthcavity 6, of a human. The material 4 includes a fluid, shown as 8, withparticles, shown as 10, therein that are susceptible to a magnetic fieldproduced by device 2. The material 4 is placed in the mouth cavity 6 andsealed therein bylips 12 and tongue 14. When the magneticfield-producing device 2 is connected to a power source, such asordinary house current, by corrector 16 and activated by closing switch18, a varying magnetic field is produced that varies in direction andintensity with time for imparting motion to the particles 10, which, inturn, imparts motion to the material 4 for cleaning teeth 20. Thematerial 4 may also contain cleansing agents to aid in cleaning theteeth. The teeth in the mouth cavity may therefore be cleaned by themagnetic field-producing device 2 that is held outside of the mouthcavity. The magnetic field-producing device or scrubbing unit maytherefore be operated externally, with only the magnetic fieldpenetrating the mouth cavity. Hygienically, this device may be utilizedby many people without transferring germs from one person to another,since the device itself is not placed in the mouth cavity.

Although the magnetic field-producing device 2 may theoretically includean electric motor rotating permanent magnets in order to produce avarying magnetic field, one

preferred embodiment of this invention is shown in FIG. 2 in blockdiagram in a non-complex form. The power source, ordinary alternatingcurrent that is supplied to homes and the like, is connected to themagnetic fieldproducing device by wires 16, although the power sourcecould be a battery-powered oscillator. A switch 18 is placed in the linein order to activate or shut down the magnetic field-producing device.FIG. 2 also shows a means for delivering an output with a frequency thatis a multiple of the input frequency. A frequency multiplier 22 isconnected to the power by wires 16 and switch 18. Various well-knowncircuits can be used to obtain the desired frequency, for example,frequency doublers or converters may be utilized. In the preferredembodiment a relatively high frequency is produced in order to providethe desired varying magnetic field. The frequency multiplier 22 isconnected to transducer 24 in order to convert the electrical energyinto a magnetic field. The transducer is shown as an ordinary coil 24.Other wellknown transducers for producing a magnetic field may beutilized.

The illustration in FIG. 3 shows a coil having a core 26 with windings28. Various magnetic field patterns may be derived by utilizingparticular winding and core patterns. A plurality of winding and corepatterns may be combined in a single magnetic field-producing device inorder to clean various portions of the teeth in a mouth cavity. Thevarious magnetic field patterns may be brought into play by changing thephysical orientation of the magnetic field-producing device in relationto the teeth in the mouth cavity, or, the various magnetic fieldpatterns may be brought into play by switch controls that control thecurrent into the various Winding and core patterns.

The method of cleaning teeth in a mouth cavity in the preferredembodiment includes placing magnetic particles in the mouth cavity inorder that the magnetic particles can be moved by the magnetic field inpredetermined patterns while they are being agitated to clean the teethquickly and propely. This method may be utilized to clean betweenadjacent teeth as well as the inner and outer faces of the teeth.

The controllable variables in the present invention provide the meansfor controlling the cleaning operation in order to provide the properforces required to clean the teeth in the mouth cavity of a specificindividual. The number, size and configuration of the particles placedin the mouth cavity with the fluid, as well as the cohesive force of theparticle, may be altered to provide specific cleaning objectives. Theviscosity of the fluid utilized, may also be varied. Also, the frequencyand amplitude of the electrical energy supplied to the transducer andthe specific transducer being energized, may be changed easily by theuser of the magnetic field-producing device when a plurality ofwell-known control circuits are provided with accessible control knobs.All of the above variables may be manipulated singularly or in a fixedpattern to provide desired results in preparing and cleaning ones teeth.The optimum ranges and values of the above variables are readilyascertainable. The time for cleaning ones teeth may be shortened bycleaning all the teeth at the same time by using a wide magnetic field,or intensifying the partical pattern of agitation.

The size of the permanent magnetic particles may be varied dependingmainly on the space between ones teeth or the force holding the teeth incontact. The particles are forced between teeth that abut one another bythe force of the magnetic field. Permanent magnetic material between0.01 and several microns may be used in the fluid.

The viscosity of the cleaning fluid may be used to limit the distance oftravel of each particle during each cycle of travel. The fluid providesa medium for the particles to travel in. The fluid also carries thecleaning agents that make cleaning easier. Also, the fluid carries theunwanted material removed from the teeth out of the mouth cavity whenthe material 4 is ejected from the mouth cavity.

It has been found that a material comprising a fluid having a pluralityof permanent magnetic particles therein may be agitated in a controlledfashion by a varying magnetic field in order to clean'items placed in acavity. The magnetic field will impart motion to each of the permanentmagnets within the fluid. The material held in a cavity is agitatedthroughout its volume. The magnetic particles are moved by the varyingmagnetic field which effects the fluid by imparting motion to the fluidvolume. The maximum size of the permanent magnetic particles that may beused is determined largely by the closeness and relationship of thespace, if any, between the teeth in a mouth cavity and the forcerequired to separate the teeth abutting one another. The minimum size ofthe permanent magnetic material varies between 0.01 and several micronsin diameter. The shape of the particles can range from generallyspherical to irregular and nonuniform configuration. The particularshape is determined by the abrasive qualities desired and theeflectiveness of the varying magnetic field on the particular shape.

Various materials may be used when manufacturing the magnetic particles,such as barium ferrite. The particles may also be coated in order toencase them with a layer of inert material. Various plastics as Well asother material may be used as a coating material to separate themagnetic material from the fluid and other items in the mouth cavity.The coating material will prevent various undesirable chemical reactionsfrom taking place.

It should be noted that magnetic particles having a non-spherical shapeare preferable because the irregularities in the non-uniform shape willaid in the cleaning process. The magnetic field imparts rotation andspins each of the magnetic particles as they tend to align themselves inproper orientation in the magnetic field. The magnetic field alsoimparts a translation motion to the non-uniform magnetic particles. Theresulting magnetic particle motion includes axial oscillation, and inthe preferred manner includes an oscillation of the entire particle.

In at least one portion of the transducer a magnetic field, called astream, is provided to move the particles in one general direction alonga single path, while oscillating the particles back and forth. A singleparticle in the stream moving along the path will move, for example, oneunit of length forward and one-half a unit of length backward with everycycle of the current. The particles moving in the stream can be used toclean between teeth that abut one another.

The method set forth herein utilized to clean the teeth includes theplacement of material in the mouth cavity, thereafter sealing off themouth cavity by the tongue which will block the entrance to the throatand the nasal cavity, and the lips are closed to seal the mouth cavityfrom the outside. A varying magnetic field is thereafter produced andbrought adjacent the external portion of the mouth cavity. From thisexternal position the magnetic particles within the mouth cavity areagitated to clean all the teeth with mechanically connecting the deviceto the particles.

The particles following a single path may be utilized as a tooth pick orpiece of waxed string to effectively clean the adjacent surfaces ofabutting teeth in the mouth cavity.

The various flight patterns for the particles may be arranged thatdiffer from the general oscillating action used for cleaning the frontand back surfaces of ones teeth. Many varied magnetic field patterns,that control the particle movement, may be provided to provide specificscrubbing action that may be necessary in cleaning specific areas of theteeth. These flight patterns may be varied by well-known means toprovide various shaped magnetic fields. The user can actuate aparticular flight pattern by manipulating the magnetic field-producingdevice into various positions or by switching the input on and off tovarious transducers or windings.

It should also be noted that the same basic device disclosed herein maybe utilized to clean items other then teeth. If a tub is provided totake the place of the mouth cavity, the disclosed method and apparatusmay be used as a dishwasher for cleaning all types of utensils includingpots and pans. The material is placed in the tub with the magneticfield-producing device connected to the outside of the tube. Also, thesame type of method and apparatus may be used as a clothes washer. Themany variables set forth herein above may be easily adjusted to providea combination dishwasher and clothes" washer, each of which wouldrequire various inputs into the tub to agitate the material therein.

The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what isconsidered to be the most practical embodiment. It is recognized,however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of theinvention as disclosed herein. Therefore this invention is not to belimited to the details disclosed herein but to be accorded the fullscope of the claims was to embrace any and all equivalent methods andapparatus.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of cleaning teeth in a mouth cavity whic comprises the stepsof placing a material that is susceptible to varying magnetic field inthe mouth cavity,

sealing the mouth cavity by use of the lips and tongue,

and

actuating a teeth cleaning device outside of the mouth cavity to producea varying magnetic filed to clean the teeth by activating said materialin the sealed mouth cavity.

2. A method of cleaning teeth in a mouth cavity as 3.)

set forth in claim 1, wherein the material includes particlessusceptible to a magnetic field, and the varying magnetic field which isproduced is capable of penetrating the cheeks to agitate the particlesin the mouth cavity to clean the teeth. 3. A process of cleaning teethin a mouth cavity compr1s1ng,

placing material including a plurality of very small particles movableunder the influence of a magnetic field in the mouth cavity adjacent theteeth, and actuating a teeth cleaning device outside the mouth cavity toproduce a varying magnetic field Within the mouth cavity to move theparticles against the teeth to clean the teeth. 4. A process. ofcleaning teeth in a mouth cavity as set forth in claim 3 including,

manipulating the teeth cleaning device to direct the movement ofparticles against various portions of the teeth in order to clean theteeth. 5. A process of cleaning teeth in a mouth cavity as set forth inclaim 3 including,

manipulating the teeth cleaning device to control the force of particlesagainst various portions of the teeth in order to clean the teeth.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,735,231 2/1956- Simjian.2,735,232 2/1956 Simjian.

MORRIS O. WOLK, Primary Examiner B. S. RICHMAN, Assistant Examiner US.Cl. X.R.

